Stay ConnectedChicago’s daily news podcast, fresh every weekday morning. Host Jacoby Cochran brings you timely conversations with news and culture makers; activists and artists; bus drivers and students; those who love and hate this place. City Cast Chicago is a smart and delightful new way to connect with the city we share. Learn more and subscribe to our newsletter at chicago.citycast.fm.
Named Best Podcast by Chicago Reader 2022
Just in the past couple weeks, one person was found dead and at least three others have been seriously injured at the “Playpen” in Lake Michigan — a popular boating spot east of Oak Street beach. As boaters, kayakers, swimmers, and casual Chicagoans make their way out to the water for the last few weeks of summer, host Jacoby Cochran talks to Mike McElroy, vice president of the Chicago Harbor Safety Committee, about the safety rules in the water, and why August is traditionally difficult for boaters.
Some good news: Nominations are open for Chicago magazine’s Chicagoans of the year.
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Tonight is the season finale for "American Ninja Warrior" — the show with all the running, jumping, and swinging through crazy obstacles. But you can learn to be a ninja year round from a coach who’s been on the show. Mike “The Stallion” Silenzi has been on nine times (including this season), and he runs Ultimate Ninjas in northwest suburban Libertyville. It’s a gym dedicated to training for obstacles similar to what you see on the show. Producer Simone Alicea visited Mike at the gym to see what it takes to train like a ninja warrior.
A little bit of news: On Tuesday, the city is hosting a public meeting about pedestrian and traffic safety on Garfield Boulevard in Washington Park.
Some good news: We are extending the deadline of our Summertime Chi Bucket List challenge. You now have until Sept. 22 to do as many things as possible. Do the most, and you could win some swag!
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It is the first week of school for Chicago Public School students, but unfortunately for thousands of students and parents who rely on the district's school buses service, many are still without routes. WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp breaks down that story, and Injustice Watch editor Jonah Newman discusses a report that recommends closing the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, and how the chief judge sat on the report for months. Plus, moments of joy, including celebrating Loyola’s Sister Jean's 103rd birthday, and the Purple Block Party!
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Host Jacoby Cochran and librarian Ashley Rayner head to Ridge Park in Beverly to talk about Ashley’s history growing up in the neighborhood to now raising her own children blocks away from her childhood home. She also shares her favorite things to do, see, and eat in her neighborhood. They also talk spots in Morgan Park and Mount Greenwood.
Spots Ashley Recommends:
Big and Little Shoes
Check out all great suggestions from listeners and readers on Twitter.
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What happens to a community when industry leaves? That’s the central question driving Steven Walsh’s documentary “Southeast: A City Within a City.” Growing up in the East Side neighborhood, Walsh saw what unemployment and disinvestment did to the area, and he wanted to find out how it got there. The filmmaker talks with host Jacoby Cochran about why he loves his neighborhood and how his grandfather’s story is the story of many on the Southeast Side.
The documentary is being screened for free Thursday at Big Marsh Park after sunset. RSVP Here.
Check our Steven Walsh's Guide to the Southeast Side in the City Cast Chicago newsletter.
This conversation was originally published Sept. 30, 2021.
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In a post-Roe world, the role of abortion doulas has become more critical than ever. Abortion doulas support people before, during, and after an abortion. City Cast Chicago host Jacoby Cochran talks to producer Meg Dalton about her experience as a doula in New York and Connecticut, and Meg plays tape of Ama Warnock, an abortion doula in Chicago, about how doulas support people looking to end their pregnancies.
Places that offer abortion doula services and training:
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It’s the first day of school for Chicago Public Schools. And while the past couple years have been marked by battles between CPS and the Chicago Teachers Union over pandemic safety protocols, this school year is starting less contentiously with scaled-back COVID-19 measures. Stacy Davis Gates was elected president of the CTU this spring. She sits down with host Jacoby Cochran to talk about what teachers and students can expect this school year and her vision for one of the city’s most influential institutions.
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Douglass Park neighbors say the city is unfairly prioritizing festivals and events over residents who use the park. The park won’t be fully repaired until after Riot Fest this fall, so neighbors are pushing for more of a voice in event permitting. Host Jacoby Cochran talks about that story with the Center for Public Integrity’s María Inés Zamudioand City Bureau’s Alejandra Cancino. Plus, they talk about development in Bronzeville, air pollution on the South and West sides, a community garden in Pilsen, and Cook County’s guaranteed income program.
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Host Jacoby Cochran and producer Simone Alicea head to the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary in Uptown to talk about some of Simone’s favorite things to do, see, and eat in her neighborhood. They also talk spots in Edgewater and Rogers Park.
Spots We Talked About:
Check out all great suggestions from listeners and readers on our Twitter feed
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We expect summertime to be hot in Chicago, but extremely hot days are coming earlier and more often. During a May heat wave, three residents at a senior apartment complex in Rogers Park died from what’s suspected to be heat-related causes. The tragedy prompted Ald. Maria Hadden to push a law to keep residents safe in extreme heat. The law passed in June. The 49th Ward alderwoman tells lead producer Carrie Shepherd how the new law came to be and what the protections entail.
A little bit of news: The future of the Discount Mall in Little Village remains uncertain, with the contract between the mall and property owners set to expire at the end of this month. Go back and listen to our episode about the mall’s importance to the community.
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